Bicycle race apparatus



Feb. 3, 1925. 1,525,278

A. DOGLIONE BICYCLE RACE APPARATUS Filed June 22, 1922 s sheets-sheet 1 j of j@ 4 o o P S Ilm A|.I z: Q u ,l

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y A. DOGLIONE BICYCLE RACE APPAATus Filed June 22, 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 WITNESSES NVENTR df/MM W Q* A TTHNEYS Feb. 3, 1925.

A. DOGLIONE BICYCLE RACE APPARATUS Filed June 22, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 A TTOHNEYS Patented Feb. 3, 1925.

'c UNITED STATES PATENT` OFFICE.

.ARTHUR DOGLIONE, QF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

BICYCLE RACE APPARATS.

Application tiled. June 22, 1922. Serial No. 570,142.

y paratus and particularly to a bicycle-race apparatusV and has for an object to provide an improved construction over Patent No. 1,315,098, issued September 2, 1919.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved construction wherein the racing platform maybe made of' any desired size and length at a minimum cost. c

A further Vobject is to provide a bicyclerace wherein .the racing members may bc used by contestants while being under control of the attendant.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a top plan view of an amusement apparatus disclosing an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is a framentary side view on a somewhat enlarged scale of one of the iigures shown in'Figure 1, certain parts being broken away forv better illustrating how the figure is moved. e

Figure 3 is a sectional view through Figure 1 on line 3-3, the same being on an enlarged scale.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view through yFigure 3 approximately von line Figure 5 is aV fragmentary view partly in section showing a-modified construction of the lower 4part of the mechanism shown in Figure 4.

vFigure 6'is an enlarged fragmentary view of one end of the 'racing platform, certain parts being broken away for illustrating part of the control of the operator.

Figure 7 is a diagram indicated as a top plan showing how power is transmitted from the respective dummy bicycles to the racing figures.A

Figure Slis an enlarged fragmentary sectional view through Figure 1 approximately on line 8 8.

Referring to the accompanying drawings by numeral, 11 indicates a racing platform and l2 a contestants platform, said racing platform being supported on the platform 12 by any suitable supporting means, as for instance', the upright casing 13. The various platforms and upright 13 may be constructed of wood or of any desired inaterial and may be, of course, made of any desired size. In my prior patent above referred to, the racing platform wasv made circular and, consequently, it would be unwieldy to make the same very large.

In the present invention, the racing plat- Vformvll is made elongated which is possible by reason of the use of the chains 14 insteadfof the pjower ring in my former patent.v The platform 11 is provided with a number of slots 15, there being one slot for each of the racing figures 16 which racing figures are preferably mounted on a miniature bicycle with' articulated legs connected to the pedals of the bicycle whereby the legs will be moved vand appear as if the figure onmthe bicycle was operating the bicycle. The wheels of the bicycle are rotated by reason of thecontact of platform 11 whereas the frame is urged forward by a. vertical rod 17. secured to chain 14. It will, of course, be understood that there is one chain 14 for each of the rac-ing gures 16 and that all of the chains and all of the figures are of identical construction so that the description of one will apply to all.

The various chains 14 are held on an auxiliary platform 11 by suitable guiding rollers v18 which may be ordinary smooth rollers or may be smooth vided with flanges on the ends. These chains are moved by the respective sprocket wheels 19, there being one sprocket'wheel for each chain. A shaft 20 is rigidly secured to each of the sprocket wheels 19, said shafts extending downwardly to a point below the platform 12 and to the lower ends of the-rods are secured bevel gears 21 designed to mesh with the respective gears 22. Each gear 22 is provided with a shaft 23 on which a sprocket wheel 24 is mounted. Each of the sprocket wheels 24 is provided with a chain 25 passing over sprocket wheel 26 secured to the respective drums 27 in any desired manner, as for instance, through thev shaft 28. The shaft 28 acts as a rotatable support for the drums 27 whereby the drums may freely rotate. The rear wheel 29 of the dummy bicycle 30 rests on drum 27 and when the usual pedals 31 of the rollers proc bicycle 30 are operated by a contestant, the Wheel 29 Will rotate drum 27 and, consequently, move the parts ljust described tor causing the chain 14 to travel and mov-e the particular racing figures 16 secured thereto. he dummy bicycle 30 is in itact an ordinary bicycle as may be found on the market with the tront'ivheel removed and a stationary support 32 substituted therefor whereby the Wheel 29 may be properly held on the drum 27 at all times.

In Figure 1, ten bicycles 30 have been shown and other parts to correspond but it will be evident that a less number or a greater number may be used ivithout-del'iarting from the spirit ot the invention. It is also evident that when theappa-ratus is in use, all the bicycles could be used or' any number.

Instead of providing the bevel gears 21. and 22 as shoivn in Figure 4, a Worm 33 might be used in connection with a- Worm wheel' 34. This construction is desirable Where the platform 11 is small. lVhere the platform isf small the racing figure 16 must move very slowly in order to give the various contestants an appreciable time on the bicycles 30. The` use of they Worm and Worm Wheel just described Will permit a great reduction in speed from the bicycle 30 to the racing iigures Without presenting an unwieldy structure though it. is evident that the various transmitting sprockets and other devices may be proportioned as preferred when using the structure shown in Figure 3.

lWhen t-he apparatus is in use, the figures 16 are arranged in line as shown in Figure 1 near a starting line 35 and the parts are locked against movement-until the proper signal is given. This locking is caused by disconnecting the chains from the driving mechanism including drinn 27. As shown in Figure 6, each chain 14 is provided With a A throw-out lever 36, said tl1ro\v-'out' lever having a roller 37 normally holding' the chain in engagemei'it With the sprocket wheel 19. A pair of throw-out rollers 38 and 39 are carried by the lever 36 so that When the rod 40 is pushed against the action of the retraetile spring 41, lever 36vvill be swung on its pivotal support 42 and the rollers 38 and 39 pushed against the chain 14 until it moves away from the sprocketvvheel 19: This ivill immediately stop themovement ot thel cha-in and, consequently, the movement of the vtigures 16. The various rods 40` are actuated through suitable levers 43, saidv levers in turn being actuated by thevari'ous rods 44 ex? tending tlo the operators stand'near line The rods 44 igure" 8) are each provided ivith a notch 45 adapted to receive the locking clip 46 and mo've` to an inner` position. When it is desired to reverse the lever 36 so as to connect the chains 14 with' their respective sprocket Wheels 19, rod 40 is moved until it is out of engagementwith the locking clip 46 and then the spring 41 Will move the lever and roller 34 over into the position shown in Figure 6. This release takes place at the time the signal to start the race has been given.

In order to stop all ot' the racing figures 16 whenthe iii-st one reaches the line 35, a bar 47 is used said bar heilig supported by sliding end supports 48. lVhen the i'irstracing figure 16 reaches the line 35, the attendant immediately pushes bar 47 quickly to- Ward the Wall 13 so that the rods 40 'vvill all quickly assume the position shown inv Figure 8 and thereby throw out of action all of' the chains 14. The attendant may then easily determine which is the Winner of the race even though some of the contestants continue operate the pedals of their bicycles.

After the Winner has been determined the racing figures 16 armere-assembled as shown in Figure 1 and theapparatus is again-in condition for a new race.

1. In yan amusement device of the character describech'a racing platform,"a plurality ot racing figures' mounted on the platform, means for actuating said racing figures, said means including-V an endless traveling chain foreachv figure, a poiver mechanism, manually actuated means for disengaging said chains from saidEL povver mechanism, said manually actuated means including a pivotally mounted lever, a roller for normallyholding the chain inoperative position, a pair of rollers for mo'fvinglthe chain to an inoperativeposition When the lever is swung to a given position, and actuating rods 'for moving said lever toan ino'p Y erative position.

2. ln an amuse-ment device of the character described,"a racing platform, ai contestants platform, a plurality of racing figures: arranged on thev racing'platform, plurality of manually actuated bicycles arranged onthe contestants platform, means for connecting said contestants bicycles VWith the racing ligures, said means including a sprocket "for each figure, and' anV endless traveling chain i for each, ligure, a pivotally mounted lever arranged adjacent each of said sprocket Wheels, a roller carried` by saidl lever, a .spring acting'on`-tlie" lever for causing the same to move toa position whereby the roll'- er will hold the chain inf engagement 'with the sprocket wheelja second pair of rollers arranged' on said lever, manually actuated means tor moving said leve-r in` such a'V direction as to' cause said second pair of'rollers to move the chain out ot 'engagement with the sprocket Wheel, and a lock forsaid last mentioned means.

3. In=an amusement apparatus' 'of the character described," a racing plat-forni having a plurality of slots, a figure for each slot having, a rod extending through its particeach of said sprocket Wheels, a swinging ular slot, and endless chain secured to each lever supporting said rollers, and a manually of said rods, means for guiding said chains, actuated reciprocating rod for swinging said 10 a sprocket Wheel for each of the chains for lever to cause the same to move the rollers 5 actuating the same, a full size dummy against said chains and the chains away bicycle for actuating each of said sprocket from the respective sprocket Wheels. Wheels, a roller arranged on each side of ARTHUR DOGLONE. 

